Call for Papers: The Third International Asian Stardom, Celebrity and Fandom Conference

The Technologies of Asian Stardom, Celebrity and Fandom Conference


University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Date: 23–25 October 2026

Convenors: Professor Sean Redmond (RMIT), Associate Professor Jian Xu (Deakin), Associate Professor Vikrant Kishore (University of Nottingham Ningbo China), Associate Professor Filippo Gilardi (University of Nottingham Ningbo China)
Deadline for abstracts and panel submissions: Monday, 30 March 2026
Keynote: Associate Professor Ling Yang, School of Film, Xiamen University, China....

The Asian Media, Culture and Society Network at Deakin University, the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University, and the School of International Communications, University of Nottingham Ningbo, China, invite you to submit individual abstracts and panel proposals to present at the Third International Asian Stardom, Celebrity and Fandom Conference to be held at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, from the 23rd to the 25th October, 2026.

Conference Title: The Technologies of Asian stardom, celebrity and fandom
The conference theme centres on how the formations, productions and receptions of Asian stardom, celebrity and fandom have been transformed by post digital technologies, platformization, and the radical placidity of generative and agentic AI. These new technological affordances both splinter the way stardom, celebrity and fandom is encountered, and reconstitute their commercial and capitalist productions and creations. The conference asks, in the age of the technological production of Asian stardom, celebrity and fandom, what has changed and why and with what social, political and economic implications?

We imagine Asia to be a broad geopolitical space to include the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, Japan, South and North Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Syria Lanka, amongst others.

Papers and panels can take a historical and contemporary view, be case study focused, or they can develop layered and contextual accounts of how technologies in all their conceptualisations, radically reshape Asian stardom, celebrity and fandom. Papers and panels can emerge from any discipline or through inter and cross disciplinary formations.

We also welcome papers and panels that discuss other stardom, celebrity and fandom issues in Asia beyond the conference theme on the Technologies of Asian stardom, celebrity and fandom.

Indicative Topics include but are not limited to:

  • AI generated Asian stardom, celebrity and fandom
  • The platformization of Asian stardom, celebrity and fandom
  • Post digital Asian star and celebrity images, productions, and receptions
  • Digital Asian fandom
  • The dematerialisation of Asian stardom, celebrity, and fandom
  • Gaming Asian fame
  • Post digital sexuality and biopower in/through Asian stars and celebrities
  • The virtual production of Asian stardom, celebrity, and fandom
  • TikTok and bite size Asian stardom, celebrity, and fandom
  • Mobile and virtual politics and publics: liquid Asian celebrity culture
  • Asian Internet-celebrities and the re-commercialisation of fame
  • The void, the emptiness, the joy of deep fakes in Asian celebrity culture
  • Virtual idols in Asia
  • Wanghong (influencer) cultures in Asia
  • Transnational celebrity and fandom in the digital era
  • Self-representations of celebrities on social media
  • Celebrities as live-streamers
  • Celebrities and live commerce
  • Aging stars and their digital strategies for re-celebrification and de-aging
  • Online traffic stars
  • Vulnerability of celebrities in the digital era

Submission guidelines

Single Abstracts
Should include title, 350 words summary, and a brief bio.

Panel submissions (3 or 4 papers)
Should include panel title, aim of the panel (250 words), and individual abstracts of 350 words, plus brief bios of each panel member.

Publication opportunity
The best papers from the conference will form an edited collection for the book series Asian Celebrity and Fandom Studies (Bloomsbury Academic) and a proposal will also be submitted for a Special Edition of a Q1 cultural or media studies journal.

Deadline for abstracts and panel submissions: Monday, 30 March 2026
Send abstracts and panel submissions to: asianstardom@nottingham.edu.cn
Questions and queries to: